Balloon closure for industrial stack



Feb. 1, 1966 w. J. GIBBONS BALLOON CLOSURE FOR INDUSTRIAL STACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 27, 1964 INVENTOR. WILL/AM J. GIBBONS B flflm/dv A/forney Feb. 1, 1966 w. J. GIBBONS BALLOON CLOSURE FOR INDUSTRIAL STACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 27, 1964 INVENTOR. WILL /AM J. GIBBONS w w Attorney United States Patent 3,232,207 EALLGON CLOSURE FOR INDUSTRIAL STACK William J. Gibbons, Palo Alto, Calif assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey FiledApr. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 363,004 9 Claims. (Cl. 98-59) This invention relates to an apparatus for and method of closing'industrial stacks which carry waste gases to the atmosphere.

When these stacks are not in use, it is necessary to cover their tops in order to protect their stack linings from rain, snow, and other adverse weather conditions. A common way of covering the top of a stack is by means of a wooden cover fastened thereon by a man who must climb up the stack. Thisrnethod is used when the stack is to be closed for a very long period of time. However, when it is desired to open and close the stack frequently, some closure means must be provided that can be operated more conveniently by a workman from a remote location, preferably at the bottom of the stack.

It is the common practice, where remote operation of the stack closure is desired, to provide a hinged metal cover on the top of the stack which is operated from below by some type of mechanical linkage. However, such metal covers and linkages are rather expensive, and are impractical for closing the larger stacks of four feet or more in diameter, because of the weight of the large covers that would be required. Also, these remotely operated metal covers become increasingly expensive and impractical as the stack height is increased above the level at which the linkage may be conveniently operated.

It is an object of my invention to provide an economical balloon type closure for an industrial stack that may be more easily operated from a remote position below the top of the stack than the aforementioned metal closures, particularly where the stack opening is of a large diameter.

Another object is to provide a balloon type closure for an industrial stack which may be operated easily and economically even at great distances below the top of the stack.

The attainment of these and other objects will appear more readily from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, shown in the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal section of an industrial stack provided with my balloon closure system, and showing the balloon closure with its outer bag fully deflated;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section of the top of the stack and the balloon closure of FIGURE 1, showing the closure with its outer bag fully inflated;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section of the top of the stack and the inflated balloon closure of FIGURE 2, showing the closure lowered against the top of the stack to close the stack opening;

FIGURE 4 is a detailed view of a roller guide used in the balloon closure system of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the base plug member of the balloon closure of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of the plug member of FIGURE 5 taken through lines VI-VI of FIG- URE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of a hose reel and associated motor and brake used in the balloon closure system of FIGURE 1.

I propose to close the top of an industrial stack S in FIGURE 1 by allowing a balloon closure B, having an inner container 2 which is filled with helium or other lighter-than-air gas, to rise through the stack until it is Patented Feb. 1, 1966 'ice either partially above the top of the stack, or as shown in FIGURE 1, completely above the stack. An outer bag dot the closure B is then inflated with compressed air, and may take the mushroom shape shown in FIG- URE 2 when completely inflated. If an outer bag of this shape is employed, then the closure B is pulled down ward until bottom flange surface 5 of the outer bag 4 is forced against the top of the stack S, thus closing the stack opening (FIGURE 3).

The outer bag 4 ofclosure B may be of the mushroom shape shown in FIGURE 3 when inflated, or of any other shape that will adequately close the top of the stack. A spherical bag would suflice, and it may be desirable toinflate the bag after allowing it to rise completely above the top of the stack and then pull it back down onto'the stack, or it may suflice simply to inflate the bag while it is wholly or partially within the stack, allowing the wall of the bag to be pressed against the inside wall of the stack. However, it is recommended that the mushroom-shaped bag 4 shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 be employed where a strong and effective seal against the atmospheric weather conditions is required. Both the inner container 2 and the outerbag 4 should be made of a strong, pliable material, such as vinylcoated nylon.

The closure B is secured to a hose H, which conveys compressed air to the outer bag 4, and also serves as a means for restraining the upward movement of the closure B when the stack is closed, and for pulling down the bag when the stack is to be opened. The hose H should be made of a strong, pliable, light-weight fabric, such as reinforced nylon, and may consist of two or more sections, depending on its required length. These sections are fastened together by connectors such as coupling It (FIGURE 1). At the bottom of stack S, hose H is passed through a protective sleeve 12 and coiled on a hose payoff reel 14. The sleeve 12 must be large enough in diameter to permit the passage of the hose coupling 10 therethrough. Roller guides 17 are provided at both ends of sleeve 12 to protect the hose from damage as it enters and leaves the sleeve. Each roller guide 17, shown in detail in FIGURE 4, includes four concave rollers 18.

Compressed air passes from hose H into the outer bag 4 of balloon closure B through a plug member 20, shown in detail in FIGURES 5 and 6. As seen in FIGURE 5, the bottom of inner container 2 is cemented to a concave surface 21 on top of plug member 20, and the outer bag 4 is cemented to a lower circumferential flange 22 of the plug member. The compressed air is directed through plug member 29 by means of a passageway 23 which extends upward from the connection with hose H and then is divided into passages 23a, 23b and 230, shown in FIG- URE 6. These passages radiate from the center of plug member. 20 and distribute the compressed air in different directions into the space between the wall of outer bag 4 and the wall of inner container 2.

A passageway 24 is also provided in plug member 20 for filling. the inner container 2 with helium or another lighter-than-air gas. Cap 25 seals the external end of passageway 24 and prevents the gas in container 2 from escaping. Container 2 must be large enough so that when fully inflated with helium, the entire balloon closure B is buoyed by the surrounding atmosphere with sufficient force to support both the closure B at the top of the stack and the length of cable hanging between the closure and the sleeve 12.

At the hub of payoff reel 14, the hose is connected to the rotating end of a swivel connector 2-8 (FIGURE 7). On the stationary end of connector 28 is attached an air supply line 30 leading from a compressed air supply 32,

shown diagrammatically in FIGURE 1. When valve 34 next to the air supply is turned on, the compressed air flows through the supply line 30 into the hose H coiled on reel 14, and then through the hose H and passage 23 of plug member 20 into the outer bag 4 of the balloon closure B. Bleed valve 35 in supply line 30 is used to deflate the outer bag 4. When not in use for this purpose, valve 35 should be left closed.

Hose reel 14 may be driven by a hand crank, but in most applications it will be desirable to provide the reel 14 with an electric motor 36 (FIGURE 7) capable of driving the reel in either direction. A dynamic brake 37, shown diagrammatically in FIGURE 5, holds reel 14 from turning when motor 36 is shut off. An example of a suitable type of electrically powered hose reel is the series M Pow-R-Matic reel manufactured by Aero-Motive Manufacturing Company of Kalamazoo, Michigan.

To operate the balloon closure B, a man standing at the base of stack S (FIGURE 1) begins by uncoiling the hose H from reel 14 and feeds the hose through the sleeve 12. He then climbs inside the stack through a cleaning door and connects the hose H to the plug member 20 of balloon closure 'B. After filling the inner container 2 with helium and securing cap 25, motor 36 of reel 14 is turned on to uncoil the hose H, and the balloon closure B is permitted to rise through the stack S with the outer bag 4 deflated. The rate at which the balloon closure rises is controlled by the speed at which reel 14 is driven in uncoiling hose H.

When the balloon closure B reaches the position shown in FIGURE 1 above the top of the stack S, the motor 36 is turned off and brake 37 is applied to restrain the closure from further rising. Valve 34 is then opened to cause compressed air to flow through hose H and passageway 23 to the outer bag 4. When bag 4 is filled with compressed air, it takes the shape shown in FIGURE 2. Then, valve 34 is closed and motor 36 is operated in reverse to rotate reel 14 in the opposite direction and to recoil hose H a short distance until closure B is pulled downward onto the top of stack S, as shown in FIGURE 3. This closes stack S and seals the inside wall thereof from the rain, snow and other adverse weather conditions on the outside. When the stack S is closed, the motor 36 is turned off and brake 37 is applied to restrain the closure B from rising.

The stack S may be opened with the same ease as it is closed by turning on motor 36 to uncoil hose H from reel 14 and allow the balloon closure B to rise a short distance above the top of stack S. Bleed valve 35 in the air supply line 30 is opened and the compressed air in outer bag 4 escapes therethrough. The closure is then brought back down to the bottom of the stack by recoiling the hose H onto reel 14.

While I have thus illustrated and described my invention, modifications may of course be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for closing a waste gas exhaust stack comprising an inflatable bag large enough to close said stack when inflated, a container connected to said bag and filled with a gas of less density than the surrounding atmosphere so as to make said container and bag lighter than the atmosphere they displace, means for restraining said container and bag from rising when buoyed by the surrounding atmosphere, means for interrupting the operation of said restraining means and allowing said container and bag to be buoyed upwards by said atmosphere, and a compressed gas supply source separate from said container, means connecting said gas supply source to said bag, and means prohibiting the flow of gas into said container while said bag is being filled.

2. Apparatus for closing a stack according to claim 1 in which said bag has a downward facing flange surface extending outwardly from the perimeter of the bag in a horizontal plane.

3. Apparatus for closing a waste gas exhaust stack comprising an inflatable bag large enough to close said stack when inflated, a container connected to said bag and filled with a gas of less density than the surrounding atmosphere so as to make said container and bag lighter than the atmosphere they displace, a cable connected to said container, a ground anchoring means for said cable, a compressed gas supply source independent of said container, means connecting said gas supply source to said bag, and means prohibiting the flow of gas into said container while said bag is being filled.

4. Apparatus for closing a stack according to claim 3 in which said bag has a downward facing flange surface extending outwardly from its perimeter in a horizontal plane.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said ground anchoring means comprises a cable payoflf reel for raising and lowering said container'and inflatable bag, and means for locking said payoif reel'to prevent said container and bag from rising.

6.'The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said cable is a hose with an air passage therethrough communicating with the inside of said inflatable bag, and said payoff reel is a hose reel with means connecting said air passage with said air supply means.

7. Apparatus for closing a waste gas exhaust stack comprising an inflatable bag, a container within said bag and filled with a gas of less density than the surrounding atmosphere so as to make said container and bag lighter than the atmosphere they displace, a rotatable reel, a hose having one end connected to said inflatable bag and the other end connected to said reel, a conduit having one end connected to the end of said hose on said reel, a source of compressed air connected to the other end of said conduit, means for rotating said reel and holding it in adjusted position, means for controlling How of air through said conduit to said bag, and means for exhausting air from said bag.

8. A method of closing a waste gas exhaust stack utilizing an inflatable stack closure bag and a container connected thereto filled with a gas of low enough density to make said container and bag lighter than air, said method comprising the steps of allowing said container and closure bag to rise in said stack while said bag is collapsed, restraining said container and connected bag from further rising after said bag is at least'partially above the top of said stack, and inflating said bag to an extent sufiicient to close said stack.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein said container and bag are restrained from further rising only after said bag is completely above the top of said stack, and the method includes the additional step of pulling said inflated bag down onto the top of said stack to close the stack.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,180,282 4/1916 Bunn 13893 2,345,550 4/1944 Berman 24433 2,492,800 12/ 1949 Isom 244-31 2,753,133 7/1956 Melton 244-31 2,864,569 12/ 1958 Froehlich 244-33 2,927,609 3/1960 Vander Lons 13893 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner. 

8. A METHOD OF CLOSING A WASTE GAS EXHAUST STACK UTILIZING AN INFLATABLE STACK CLOSURE BAG AND A CONTAINER CONNECTED THERETO FILLED WITH A GAS OF LOW ENOUGH DENSITY TO MAKE SAID CONTAINER AND BAG LIGHTER THAN AIR, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF ALLOWING SAID CONTAINER AND CLOSURE BAG TO RISE IN SAID STACK WHILE SAID BAG IS COLLAPSED, RESTRAINING SAID CONTAINER AND CONNECTED BAG FROM FURTHER RISING AFTER SAID BAG IS AT LEAST PARTIALLY ABOVE THE TOP OF SAID STACK, AND INFLATING SAID BAG TO AN EXTENT SUFFICIENT TO CLOSE SAID STACK. 